Fully Grounded: #3 Salt Sculptures (Patreon)

 This is part of the terrain series, other entries can be found at the contents page here. 

 Terrain from Emporium Miniatures. Link:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmporiumMiniatures   

• Number: 1 set of 2 (Total: 2)
• Size: 2x1
• Passive: No
• Activate: Yes
• Obstacle: Yes
• Classification: Defensive, Resource, Destructible

In the vast majority of situations the Salt Sculpture is nothing more than a pretty Stone Column because it shares their characteristics. It provides cover from field of view targeting for a survivor, but eventually if the monster passes over it, it will be destroyed. This means its slightly worse than the Stone Columns for most survivors because you only get 2 of them instead of 3.  That means less coverage, fewer places to hide and a higher chance that the monster will destroy all of this terrain more quickly.

We'll discuss all of the specifics of how to use Columns as effectively as possible during that article (coming next time we return to this series, the link above will go live then). Right now we're going to consider what happens when you have the following item:

The utilization of this item is the only way that a survivor can be in darkness outside of Sunstalker showdowns (you always get 2 Salt Statues when fighting a Sunstalker, and one survivor should always Dash over to smash them). This is one of many reasons why a survivor in your party should always have a Sunspot Lantern if you are in a campaign where you can craft one. Not only does it have excellent affinities and a solid stat bonus, but it allows for another survivor to use the Ink Sword, fire the Ink Bow without Cumbersome and here... it allows them to break open the Sculpture and get a Salt resource.

Outside of its use in crafting certain Sunstalker specific gear, Salt "doubles" the potency of any cooking recipe used by providing a second bonus. Cooking is already one of the best innovations in the game (+1 endeavor and the evasion recipe is :chef's kiss:), having a single resource add +1 strength to any recipe you are using is a massive boost in power and efficiency. 

Just remember that (during non-Sunstalker fights) in order to break open the Salt Sculpture, the Sunspot Lantern Survivor is going to have to stand somewhere so their shadow casts the Darkness spot adjacent to the Salt Sculpture and then a second survivor will have to break open the sculpture. It's a two woman job, so that is a fair investment in time to get both terrain. If that is your plan, you want to position the first sculpture so it can be cracked immediately, and the second Sculpture as near as possible. That gets it all done in the first two rounds of the showdown, and then you can concentrate on smashing the monster's face.

Lorewise, this is a nice little reference to the People of the Sun, which the card art/sculpture style represents (PotSun's themes include Family/Children) and could be considered an neat Easter Egg in the same way that the Obsidian Tower and some of the Dragon King/Sunstalker events are.